Naruto: Vectors of Fire!
by xNamikazeKyuubix
Summary: Naruto/Elfen Lied crossover. Naruto does not only have whiskers but a pair of fox ears as well, he is beaten and picked on regularly because of that. What if he found a girl with horns? Will their lives improve? Naruto x Lucy. Dark Naruto/Dark Lucy.
1. Prologue:Alternate Reality

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Elfen Lied… if I did then Lucy wouldn't have died!**

**THIS IS A REPOST SINCE THE ORIGINAL ONE WAS UNDER ANIME X-OVERS, SO I SHIFTED IT UNDER NARUTO/ELFEN LIED SECTION! AND I SPEAK FOR A LOT OF FELLOW AUTHORS WHEN I SAY THAT IT'S ABOUT TIME THEY FIXED THE WEBSITE!**

**Before you guys go on a rampage asking why I started yet another story before I even finish the others but don't fret for I haven't abandoned them! This has just been sitting in my head ever since I finished reading Elfen Lied two days ago; don't ask me why I never read it sooner… fine, I just discovered it a few days ago due to a YouTube video! So this has been running around my head for a few days and I JUST had to write it out or I might explode!**

**READ THIS CHAPTER PROPERLY, it lays the basic ground information for the rest of the story…**

**The pairing will be Naruto x Lucy, this will MOST likely turn out to be a DARK Naruto story with a dark Lucy as well. My reasons for writing this are because I was unsatisfied with the ending of Elfen Lied and how Lucy died in the end. So in this story, Lucy will be born in the Narutoverse instead of the Elfen Lied universe and will meet Naruto at the orphanage. Also because of the overwhelming response of 'yes' I got from the poll on my profile… still can't believe some people voted for me to eat an ice-cream cone…**

**Well enough about me, let's get on with the story!**

* * *

Prologue: Alternate reality

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu! (Summoning technique!)" The Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato, called out as he slammed his palm onto the ground causing a giant seal matrix to appear. A giant cloud of smoke enveloped the immediate area before the wind blew it away, revealing that Minato now stood on the head of a giant rust-red toad.

"Minato, why have you summoned me?" Gamabunta asked as he took a large puff from his pipe.

"Sorry old friend but I could use some help against that." Minato replied and pointed at the rampaging monstrous figure of a nine-tailed fox.

"Minato have you gone off the deep end from all your paperwork? You do know that is the Kyuubi no Yoko (Nine-tailed Demon Fox), strongest of the Biju (Tailed-beasts) right?" Gamabunta looked at the human on his head in disbelief.

"No I haven't gone crazy but I might if I spent any more time filing paperwork." Minato chuckled before switching back into his serious personality. "I don't need you to defeat him, just stall for enough time until I can perform my jutsu."

"I can try but… how did this happen in the first place, last I heard from you was that the Kyuubi was still sealed inside Kushina!" Gamabunta grunted.

_Flashback no Jutsu!_

"_OH GOD, IT HURTS!" Kushina's pained cry came from inside a small cave entrance, outside of it were several ANBU that were stationed at strategic locations to prevent any entry._

"_I, uh… have never heard Kushina in so much pain, are…are you sure she's alright?" Minato asked worriedly as he held both his hands over his wife's stomach, on which was a complicated seal matrix._

"_She's fine! Just keep your eyes on the seal and make sure that nothing goes wrong with it!" Sarutobi Biwako snapped in annoyance as she got ready to pull the baby out._

"_B-but she looks like-" _

"_Get a hold of yourself! Good lord, you're the Yondaime Hokage! Don't panic! This is why women are the ones who get pregnant, you men can't handle the pain!" Biwako reprimanded Minato._

"_Hang in there Kushina, hang in there Naruto!" Minato was concentrating so hard on preventing the Kyuubi from escaping that sweat had started pouring down his forehead. 'Damn it's so strong, I can feel the fox trying to break out!'_

"_Mmnnnn!" Kushina clenched her jaws shut as tears leaked out the corner of her eyes as she felt the pain in stomach area increase._

"_The head's out, almost there Kushina!" Biwako shouted to inform the redhead._

"_Keep going Kushina-san!" The medical helper added her own encouragement._

"_Naruto, get out here right now! And Kyuubi, you stay right where you are!" Minato squeezed his eyes shut in concentration as he felt the Kyuubi use every inch of its available strength to try and break out of the seal._

"_Mmnnh-" Kushina pushed with every ounce of her will when suddenly the sound of a baby crying filled the cave._

"_Get the hot water!" Biwako ordered._

"_Yes mam!" The helper replied as she went to retrieve a basin of hot water and Biwako quickly washed the new-born before wrapping him in a piece of cloth. "Congratulations, it's a healthy baby boy!"_

"_Hahaha! Look at me, I'm a father!" Minato smiled as he used a sleeve to wipe away his sweat and tears of joy that escaped from his eyes._

"_Naruto…I finally get to meet you…" Kushina whispered to the whiskered baby that was held in front of her._

"_Okay Kushina, I know you're exhausted from the birth but we have to get the Kyuubi completely sealed!" Minato told his wife seriously as he prepared to reseal the Kyuubi._

"_Right…" Kushina gave him a small smile in acknowledgement when two sharp cries suddenly came from behind them causing Minato to spin around to find Biwako and the helper on the ground._

"_Biwako-sama, Taji!" Minato shouted and looked up from their bodies._

"_Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato… back away from the Jinchuuriki or else your son dies at the ripe old age of one minute." A man wearing black hooded cloak and strange orange mask was holding Naruto in one arm with his other poised to strike over the baby's head._

'_How the hell did he break through our reinforced barrier seals? Who the hell is this guy?' Minato thought as he shifted his foot to get into a better stance when Kushina suddenly grunted in pain and the seal bulged slightly. 'Shit! Kushina's seal still isn't done!'_

"_As I said, back away from the Jinchuuriki… or do you not care if your son dies?" A kunai appeared in the masked man's hand and he held it beside Naruto's head._

"_H-Hold it, just calm down!" Minato gestured for the man to not make any sudden movements. _

"_You should really take your own advice Minato, for I'm perfectly calm." The masked man stated as he tossed the baby up into the air._

"_NARUTO!" Kushina shouted in worry and she saw her husband's eyes take on a steelier gaze, something she referred to as his Hokage mode. As the masked man was about to plunge the kunai into the baby's body, Minato vanished from his spot and appeared behind the intruder with his feet firmly planted on the wall and Naruto in his arms._

"_You really live up to the 'Yellow Flash' moniker, but what now?" The masked man asked as Minato heard several hissing sounds before finding that there were several exploding tags attached to the cloth around his baby son. _

"_Minato! Naruto!" Kushina shouted as Minato quickly slipped Naruto out of the cloth and used his legendary Hiraishin (Flying Thunder God) to transport him and his son to an abandoned shack somewhere outside in the forest where he had left one of his special kunai._

_The shack exploded sending Minato tumbling out with Naruto firmly shielded in his grasp and finally skidded to a stop and found a crying Naruto in his arms._

"_Thank Kami that you aren't hurt…" Minato breathed a sigh in relief before wincing at a pain his leg, he looked down and found a piece of the wooden shack had embedded itself into his leg._

'_Whoever that masked man was, he was after Kushina… he forced me to use my Hiraishin no Jutsu to separate us.' Minato thought as he pulled out the splinter before vanishing in a yellow flash and reappeared inside a house, where one of his special kunai was hanging on a piece of string._

"_You'll be safe here… you'll have to wait on your on for a little while Naruto, I've got to go save your mother before it's too late." Minato whispered to the already sleeping baby as he tucked him into a bed before vanishing in another yellow flash._

_Minato reappeared on top of a tree with Kushina in his arms, he had managed to get to her in time to save her from being crushed by the Kyuubi's paw._

"_Looks like I made it just in time…" Minato sighed in relief before a weak tugging on his sleeve caught his attention._

"_Minato… stop the Kyuubi…" Kushina wheezed out as blood trickled down the side of her mouth._

"_Don't worry Kushina…I won't let the Kyuubi harm our village or our son." Minato promised before teleporting both of them to the house and placed Kushina beside Naruto on the bed. "Stay here with Naruto."_

_Flashback no Jutsu KAI!_

"That's a long story Bunta and we don't have the time for it, just keep the Kyuubi still long enough for me to teleport it out of here." Minato told the boss toad.

"I'll see what I can do…" Gamabunta kept his pipe and jumped at the Kyuubi with a strong kick that knocked it back slightly, enough time for Minato to leap onto its head and teleport them away from Konoha. Minato had managed to get Kushina and Naruto out of the shack before the Kyuubi destroyed it.

"My chakra is almost drained… but I can still do one last thing…" Kushina whispered to Minato before several chains made out of chakra short forth from her back and formed a crisscross pattern over and around the Kyuubi. "Sorry Naruto, I didn't mean to wake you…"

"Kushina…" Minato stared at his wife, whose entire body was shaking from the exertion of keeping the Kyuubi pinned down.

"I'll drag the Kyuubi… back… and die with it inside me… that will… prevent it from coming back… for a while… it's the only way to save you both… with the little amount of chakra I have left…" Kushina managed to give him a small smile despite her condition. "Thank you… for everything."

"Kushina… you… you made me your husband… you made me the Yondaime Hokage… you made me this boy's father! And I…" Minato struggled to keep his composure as tears threatened to fall from his eyes.

"Don't look so sad… Minato. I'm…I'm happy. Happy that you loved me. Happy that it's… our son's birthday." Kushina still carried on smiling as she spoke. "Like… if I try to imagine surviving and the three of us… living together… I can't think of anything… beyond 'I'd be so happy.'"

Minato's will finally crumbled during the speech as tears started leaking out the corner of his eyes and trailed down the side of his face, he didn't even bother wiping them away and just let it flow naturally.

"If I had any regrets… it would be that I won't get to see our son grow up… into the fine shinobi that I know he will be…" Kushina looked at Naruto lovingly.

"… Kushina… you don't need to take the fox down with you. We can use our last bit of chakra to see Naruto one more time!" Minato suddenly said as he wiped away his tears. "I'll seal the last amount of your chakra into Naruto with a Hakke no Fūin Shiki (Eight Trigrams Seal). Then I'll seal the Kyuubi away with a seal that only a non-Jinchuuriki like me can use, the Shiki Fūjin (Dead Demon Consuming Seal)."

"But that… the user will be-" Kushina gasped but was cut off by Minato.

"But I'm only able to seal away half of the Kyuubi's power… it's just too great, it's physically and conceptually impossible to completely seal it all. I can't let the Kyuubi no Yoko be revived without a Jinchuuriki, the balance of Biju (Tailed-beasts) will be destroyed."

"Then how… are you going to seal it?" Kushina asked.

"Originally I planned on sealing half of the Kyuubi's chakra in me permanently and the remaining half inside Naruto with a Hakke no Fūin Shiki but I changed my mind. Instead I will seal the Kyuubi's soul inside of me while all of its power will be sealed into Naruto, which will essentially turn him into the next Kyuubi." Minato cringed when he saw the look on his wife's face.

"Minato-"

"I know what you want to say… but Jiraiya-sensei spoke of the world undergoing a revolution, and with it a great disaster. Tonight I've confirmed two things. The first is that masked man, the one who attacked you… he is the harbinger of that disaster. And Naruto will be the one to stop him… I just know it." Minato smiled at the baby in his arms just as the Sandaime Hokage landed in the area.

"But…Minato." Kushina began but Minato had already begun the seal sequence for the technique.

'Snake → Boar → Ram → Rabbit → Dog → Rat → Bird → Horse → Snake.' Minato formed each seal perfectly before clapping his hands together.

"Shiki Fūjin!" Minato shouted as the Shinigami appeared behind him, it has tendrils of its white hair wrapped around an image of Minato's soul. "Have a little faith! He is our son after all!"

"After I finish the Shiki Fūjin, I'll place the remainder of your chakra into Naruto as well. You'll be able to meet the grown-up Naruto sooner than you think; I've set a timer so that we'll be able to meet him on his seventeenth birthday." Minato explained.

"Our **son**… That's why I don't want him bearing such a heavy burden all on his own!" Kushina glared at him but he just looked at her sadly. "But why… why the Shiki Fūjin? There's no reason for you to die… just so I can meet him for a few minutes when he's older! I wanted you to be there for him… I wanted you to raise him!"

"…"

"Why…why are you sacrificing Naruto just to preserve the balance of Biju… to save the village… and the country… why are you sacrificing yourself for me?" Kushina slumped as her rant had tired her out.

"Turning your back on the country, on the village is just as bad as abandoning a child. You should understand… you saw your own country fall apart. You know the pain of growing up without a home of your own… and you know that we are a family… of Shinobi." Minato said as he ignored the glare she sent his way. "Besides…even if I lived, I could never substitute for you."

"…?" Kushina looked up in confusion at the statement.

"There are things Naruto needs to be told, things I could never say myself. That's the mother's job, and I need you to carry it out even if you only have the briefest of moments to do so. This isn't just for you… this is for Naruto!" Minato told her as they both glanced at the baby in his arms. "Dying to make a better life for his son… that's the stuff you let the father handle."

* * *

"Those markings… it can't be… the Shiki Fujin?" Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime Hokage of Konohagakure, exclaimed in shock.

"What's happening Sandaime-sama?" A fellow Konoha shinobi asked as he and his partner landed beside the retired Hokage.

"We're too late; they've already put up a barrier around the Kyuubi! Whatever they're doing, they're doing it alone!" Hiruzen shouted as he slammed a palm onto an invisible barrier. 'Minato… what are you doing?'

* * *

"**Curse you Yondaime Hokage!" **The gigantic chakra entity roared as the Shinigami reached a hand through Minato and grabbed a hold on the Kyuubi's front paw.

"Seal." Minato whispered causing the Kyuubi to roar in agony as its soul was forcefully removed from its body and sealed into Minato. 'What an evil presence…I can feel its taint even through the seal…'

Minato and Kushina watched as the solid form of the Kyuubi suddenly turned into a mass of bubbling demonic red chakra, apparently this was what happened if you removed the soul.

"Now for the Hakke no Fūin Shiki, I'm going to seal this chaotic chakra into Naruto." Minato performed several more hand-seals and a strange ceremonial-like throne rose out of the ground and he placed Naruto on it. The bubbling mess of chakra in the loose shape of a nine-tailed fox was running on pure instincts at the moment and those instincts were telling it that the baby was a danger. So when the chains around it suddenly slackened, it used the opportunity to raise a chakra claw and thrust it in Naruto's direction.

However, Minato and Kushina had jumped in the way causing the claw to pierce through both of them but forcing it to stop a centimetre away from their son. They both clenched their teeth as they held onto the claw to prevent it from withdrawing, the bubbling chakra would have normally affected them but they were both almost completely numb already.

"If the father can do this job… then the mother should be even better… right?" Kushina gave a small chuckle before coughing out some blood as the Shinigami grabbed the dagger-like sword from its mouth.

"It's almost time for me to go, Kushina…I'm going to perform the Hakke no Fūin Shiki… and leaving a bit of my chakra in Naruto as well. We don't have much time… so if you have anything to say to Naruto…" Minato trailed off as he let Kushina speak to their son.

"Naruto…don't be a fussy eater… eat a lot and grow up to be a big boy! Take your bath every day…go to bed early and sleep well! Make friends… it doesn't matter how many… just make sure they're real friends… people you can trust…even a few is enough. And study you ninjutsu… I was never very good at it, maybe you will be…" Kushina chuckled weakly as more blood leaked down the corners of her mouth.

"Everyone has things they are good at and things they are bad at… so don't feel bad if you can't do it all. Make sure you listen to the teachers… at the academy. And remember, avoid the three vices of shinobi… don't borrow money if you can help it, save what you earn from missions… don't drink alcohol until you're twenty, and don't overdo it or you'll ruin your body." Kushina's voice was getting more strained as the time passed.

"And as for women… well, I'm a woman so I don't know what to say but there are only men and women in this world and you'll want a girlfriend someday… just try not to pick a weird one… try to find someone like your mother… and another warning… watch out for a white-haired pervert by the name of Jiraiya… if you meet him, give him a kick in the balls for me…" Kushina added causing Minato to let out a laugh at the warning.

"…Naruto… you're going to experience a lot of pain and suffering… remember who you are. Find a goal… a dream… and don't stop trying until it comes true! There's so much more I want to say… to teach you about… I want to stay with you… I love you…" Kushina had tears streaming down her face by the end of her speech. "I'm sorry Minato… I took up all our time…"

"It's okay. Naruto… this is your dad. Listen… to your motor-mouth mother." Minato gave his son one last smile before the seal kicked in and the Kyuubi's chakra was pulled into Naruto, leaving both of them to drop onto the forest floor dead.

With the barrier fallen, Hiruzen dashed straight towards where Minato and Kushina had fallen. He quickly crouched down and checked both of their necks for a pulse before sighing in resignation when he found none.

"Minato… what exactly did you do?" The Sandaime whispered the question to nobody in particular before the crying of a baby reached his ears; he looked around and spotted a baby boy lying on the floor. "Naruto…"

Hiruzen froze up when he noticed something that shouldn't be on a healthy human baby… Naruto had a pair of orange fox ears poking out from his blonde hair. It was at that moment that an ANBU member appeared in a swirl of leaves at his side, he hesitated slightly when he saw the fox child in the elderly Hokage's arms.

"Sandaime-sama I regret to inform you that… Biwako-sama has been discovered dead within the secret cave, she died from a stab wound to her abdomen…you have my deepest condolences sir." The ANBU reported before bowing and leaving in a similar manner.

"Biwako-chan…" Hiruzen murmured sadly as a lone tear escaped his eye before turning his gaze towards the now sleeping Naruto. "What the hell happened in there Minato… and what in the name of Kami did you do to the Kyuubi and your son?"

Hiruzen shook his head free of those troublesome thoughts and used a Shunshin to appear inside his office, where he covered his battle armour with his Hokage robes once more.

"Sayuri, call the council for a meeting immediately." Hiruzen informed his secretary over the intercom.

Half an hour later

Hiruzen entered the council chambers to find a nervous and jumpy civilian council along with a tired and haggard-looking shinobi council. Immediately after he entered the room, the entire council burst into chatter about random things from damages to amount of lives lost during the Kyuubi attack.

"SILENCE!" Hiruzen shouted causing everyone to quiet down and turn towards him. "That's better…"

"Sandaime-sama… where's Yondaime-sama?" Nara Shikaku asked the question that everybody wanted to know.

"Unfortunately Minato is dead…" Everyone started shouting out questions but Hiruzen stopped them with a quick burst of his killing intent. "He sacrificed his life to seal the Kyuubi into a baby boy, making him the next Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Yoko."

"Where is this boy Hokage-sama?" Hyuuga Hiashi asked politely.

"Inu (Dog), you can come in now!" Hiruzen called out as a dog-masked ANBU member with tall gravity defying silver hair walked into the chamber carrying an infant in his arms, everyone noticed the fox ears immediately.

"Kill the demon!"

"Look at those ears, it must be the Kyuubi!"

"Let's finish what Yondaime-sama started!"

Those were the various shouts that the Sandaime heard as he rubbed his wrinkled temple in frustration, 'I'm definitely too old for this shit…'

"Sandaime-sama, who exactly is that child?" Aburame Shibi's calm voice cut through the incessant noise as everybody quieted down to hear the answer.

"His name is Uzumaki Naruto, he was the only child that was available to have the Kyuubi sealed into at that time." Hiruzen lied expertly but every single clan head knew the truth about the boy's heritage since there was only one Uzumaki in Konoha and they all knew who she was married to.

"I demand that the boy be given to me so that I can train him to be a weapon for Konoha!" Shimura Danzo shouted out.

"Absolutely not! I will not have him be turned into one of your emotionless puppets, he deserves a normal childhood just like any other kid!" Hiruzen glared at his long-time rival, who merely sneered in response.

"Kid? That thing isn't a kid, it's a demon! Look at those fox ears on top his head!" Haruno Sayano screeched out in the banshee-like voice that all female members of their family seemed to possess.

"Councilwoman Haruno, restrain yourself or I will have you removed from your place on the council!" Hiruzen reprimanded the pink-haired woman, who scowled but remained silent.

"Sandaime-sama… do you know how exactly this happened?" Shikaku asked.

"Unfortunately Shikaku I don't, Minato had set up a barrier to prevent anyone from interfering with the sealing so I have absolutely no idea what he did." Hiruzen sighed as he ran a hand through his hair, Shikaku just nodded in understanding.

"So I assume that you will be taking up the mantle of Hokage once more Sandaime-sama?" Yamanaka Inoichi inquired.

"I believe that it would be in everyone's best interest if I do, at least until a suitable replacement can be found." Hiruzen replied, getting mummers of acceptance.

"Hokage-sama, what is to happen to the boy?" Inuzuka Tsume asked in a worried tone. 'I would adopt him Kushina-chan but I just gave birth to Kiba…I don't think I would be able to take good care of him.'

"Naruto will be placed in the orphanage along with all the other children who lost their parents during the Kyuubi's rampage… and he will join the ninja academy when he comes of age." Hiruzen smiled slightly as he believed that Minato would have wanted his son to follow in his footsteps. The council meeting carried on as usual after Inu had brought Naruto out of the chambers and to the orphanage, most of the topics discussed were the cost of damages and number of shinobi lost during the attack.

With Inu and Naruto

'Minato-sensei… what happened out there? The Sandaime told me that he found you and Kushina dead with Naruto looking like this… that doesn't matter Kakashi, you just have to look out for sensei's son from now on!' Inu aka Hatake Kakashi, sole surviving member of Team Minato and ANBU captain, thought to himself.

Kakashi dropped down from a rooftop with Naruto tucked safely in his arms, he strode up to the lady in charge of the orphanage and coughed slightly to gain her attention.

She looked up from the paperwork to see Kakashi standing there before sighing when she spotted the child in his arms, "That's the fifth one in the past hour… alright ANBU-san just hand him over."

"Sorry mam but Sandaime-sama said to make sure you are clear on one thing…" Kakashi said in the monotone voice he reserved for business only and showed her the pair of fox ears on the sleeping Naruto's head.

The woman's gaze immediately hardened as she hissed out, "And pray tell ANBU-san, what the hell is that?"

"This is a baby boy and his name is Uzumaki Naruto. Sandaime-sama personally wished for him to be left safely in your care… that isn't going to be a problem is it?" Kakashi added a little killing intent to the question as he glared at the woman.

"N-not at all ANBU-san, just leave the boy with me." She stuttered out. Kakashi handed her Naruto before giving her a curt nod and one final warning then left in a swirl of leaves.

And with that we see the start of Uzumaki Naruto's life…

* * *

**Well my first chapter of Naruto/Elfen Lied crossover is complete, I know it's not much but it is just starting after all and this chapter is just as important as any future chapters. This one explains why Naruto has fox ears and generally why his attitude won't be the same as canon Naruto, he IS the new Kyuubi after all.**

**Pairing is Naruto x Lucy and will remain so, no amount of begging, whining, complaining and puppy dog eyes will force me to change it! So please review, I would appreciate it A LOT if you spend the small amount of time necessary to type out a review! And also spread word to any of your friends, both online and offline, to read my story since Elfen Lied isn't as well-known as other animes/manga.**

**Ja ne!**


	2. Chapter 1:Pyrokinesis

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Elfen Lied… I'm pretty sure I don't…**

**Hey everyone, its xNamikazeKyuubix back again with the next instalment of Naruto: Vectors of Fire! I'm pretty sure most of you are wondering why I chose this title for the story, well that is going to become clear in this chapter. Thanks everyone that reviewed this story, I'm glad that you enjoyed it! And there is a severe lack of Naruto/Elfen Lied stories... hopefully this story might inspire more people to write!**

**So anyway, this chapter is rather short but it is essential for plot development so it is a must read! With further ado, let's get on with the show! ^^**

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Chapter 1: Pyrokinesis

_Naruto, age five…_

"What are you doing here; get back to your corner _child!_" The matron of the orphanage hissed at a blonde haired boy. Naruto sighed sadly as he walked away from the obviously hostile woman, who he could feel glaring daggers at his back.

'Ever since this new lady took over, it's just been one problem after another… counting today, this has been the fortieth time I have been denied food.' Naruto thought to himself as he sneaked out of the orphanage via an open window and dropped into a dusty alleyway that was besides the orphanage building; luckily for him it was empty. 'Not only food but also my education… if I wasn't so naturally gifted in intelligence then I would have been a bumbling idiot.'

'Thanks to her, I have to sneak out and steal food just to get by…' Naruto pulled the hood of his improvised cloak over his head to hide the two fox appendages on top his head. 'All just because of this pair of stupid fox-ears on my head… I can't even play with the other kids because they think I'm weird…'

Naruto poked his head out of the alleyway and checked to make sure that the street wasn't too crowded before walking out, his lack of height worked in his favour in this instance. Naruto walked past a puddle before backtracking and looking at his reflection in the water, a pair of crimson slitted pupils looked back at him.

'What's wrong with the way I look… stupid people…' Naruto growled inwardly as he resumed his walk towards the market district within Konohagakure. The sun had set an hour ago and the streets were dimly lit by streetlamps along the pathway, Naruto clenched his fists as he observed families chatting away happily as they strolled around.

'Did my parents abandon me too…?' Naruto took a deep breath and sighed before relaxing, he turned a corner to find a store selling raw meat. Naruto entered the store and bided his time until he saw the owner distracted by another customer; he quickly shot a hand forward and grabbed a slab of raw meat before pulling it back under his cloak. He managed to exit the store unnoticed and heaved a sigh of relief before retreating to Konoha's national park, he sat under one of the trees while devouring his dinner.

Naruto lay on the grassy field and looked up at the night sky, he was about to drift to sleep when…

"Hi!" A girl's head suddenly appeared in his field of vision causing Naruto's eyebrow to start twitching as he tried to get the ringing out of his sensitive ears.

"What do you want?" Naruto asked as he sat back up and turned to face the girl, who looked to be around his age and had long black hair.

"I saw you here by yourself and came to ask you to play with me!" The girl replied with a sincere smile.

"It's pretty late at night, where are your parents?" Naruto asked suspiciously causing the girl to adopt a sad expression.

"Tou-san and Kaa-san always shout at each other so I run away by using my room window…" She shuffled her feet unconsciously, obviously being uncomfortable about the subject.

"Oh… so what's your name?" Naruto changed the flow of the conversation.

"My name is Kara, Uchiha Kara!" Kara declared proudly as she jerked a thumb to herself.

"I see, well my name is Uzumaki Naruto." Naruto said and was about to offer her a hand to shake when Kara glomped him with a hug. Unfortunately the hug knocked his hood loose and thus revealed his pair of fox ears, Naruto sighed in resignation and waited for Kara to scream or something.

"Kawaii! (Cute!)" Kara squealed as she looked at the orange fox ears on top his head with wide eyes. "Naruto-kun has cute, fluffy ears!"

"C-cute? You don't find them weird?" Naruto asked almost shyly since nobody ever complimented his pair of fox-like ears before.

"Nope! They are soft and fluffy like my plushy (Childish way of referring to a plush toy.)!" Kara exclaimed before looking at Naruto with wide eyes and a quivering lower lip. "Can I pet them Naruto-kun?"

"Umm, I guess it wouldn't hurt…" Naruto replied a little unsurely as he hadn't let anyone near his ears before but that doubt disappeared when Kara started stroking his ears. The pleasure of feeling her soft hands gliding over his furry ears caused him to unconsciously let out a purr of approval, Naruto quickly slapped his hands over his mouth the moment he realised that.

Kara just let out a small giggle, "You made a noise like that cat near my house when I pet it."

"I don't know- I mean it just happened and I couldn't control it!" Naruto blushed in embarrassment.

"Don't worry I won't tell anyone, it will be our little secret." Kara told him before flicking him on the nose and running away. "You're it, catch me if you can! Hahaha!"

Naruto spent the next hour or so playing tag and other kinds of games with his newfound friend but as the saying goes 'all good things must come to an end' and that it did.

"I have to get back home now since Kaa-san checks up on me around this time!" Kara bounced up onto her feet from her previous prone position on the ground.

"Oh I see…" Naruto whispered sadly, which Kara seemed to pick up.

"Don't be sad…I know! How about we meet back here again after dinner every day so we can play or just talk?" Kara suggested causing Naruto to brighten up considerably.

"Really? You mean it?" Naruto asked hopefully.

"Yup! Well see you tomorrow Naruto-kun!" Kara shouted with a wave as she ran in the direction of her home, leaving a happy Naruto to find his way back to the orphanage.

Naruto ducked back into the alleyway before grabbing onto the window ledge and pulling himself back through the window, he heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that the orphanage staff hadn't noticed his little escapade. He crept back into the isolated room that had been assigned to him and lay down on the stiff mattress on the ground before curling up and falling asleep with a small smile on his face.

The following evening

Naruto escaped once again through the same window that he always used, dropping into the alleyway with his hood pulled up and then made his way towards the place he had met Kara. He had managed to snag a bag of groceries from a random civilian that he had passed, he ate the package of raw beef and threw away the vegetables in it. Apparently he discovered that his stomach couldn't handle vegetables and eating them would just make him sick, so he just disposed of them.

Naruto looked out from under his hood and looked around for his friend but only spotted several couples and a few families taking a stroll, no Kara.

'I knew it… she's probably like everybody else and tricked me, she probably-'

"Naruto-kun!" A voice called out thus interrupting his train of depressing thoughts, Naruto turned towards the source and saw Kara running towards him.

"She came…" Naruto whispered to himself with a small smile gracing his usually emotionless face.

"Sorry for being so late, my parents weren't arguing today so I had to wait for an opportunity to run away." Kara apologised while rubbing the back of her head sheepishly.

"That's alright." Naruto waved off her apology with a hand causing a grin to appear on the young girl's face.

"So what do you want to play today?"

"Anything is fine with me." Naruto replied with a small shrug.

"Let's play hide and seek! I will hide first and you have to find me, the entire park will be our playground." Kara explained before dashing away into the nearby bushes, leaving an amused looking Naruto to close his eyes and start counting down from twenty mentally.

Once the twenty seconds was up, Naruto calmly walked in the direction where Kara had left and crouched down to observe the leaves on the ground.

'There is a trail of crushed leaves that means she went that way…' Naruto deduced as he stood back up and followed the trail of crushed leaves. The trail led to another part of the park with large trees before suddenly ending, Naruto looked around confused as he scanned the surroundings for any sign of his raven-haired friend.

Naruto searched for a few seconds before pausing and started to sniff the air, his enhanced sense of smell allowed him to easily pick up the scent of his friend. He followed the scent back to where the trail ended and looked up the tree trunk to find Kara sitting on a tree branch with a pout on her face.

"How did you find me so easily?"

Naruto tapped his nose, "All my senses are enhanced to a point greater than an Inuzuka's so I simply used my nose to follow your smell."

"That's so cool! Hold on while I climb back down…" Kara told him as she tried to find a safe way down but froze up suddenly when she looked down the tree trunk.

"What's wrong?" Naruto asked the raven-haired girl.

Kara sat back down on the branch before taking a deep breath, "Sorry Naruto-kun, I just remembered that I'm afraid of heights…"

Naruto let out a soft sigh before climbing up the tree towards Kara's position and scooped her up into his arms bridal style, "Then I just have to get you down myself."

"B-but Naruto-kun, how are you going to get down now that you're carrying me?" Kara asked with a pink tinge on her face as she unconsciously snuggled deeper into his arms.

"Easy… like this!" Naruto shouted as he leapt off the branch causing Kara to let out a high-pitched squeal of fright, he landed perfectly on his feet without suffering any injuries.

He placed Kara back on her feet as she placed a hand on her chest to steady her rapidly beating heart whilst levelling a light glare at the clearly amused blonde. Naruto looked at her in confusion as she marched straight up to him before bopping him on the head with a fist.

"Itai! What was that for!"

"That's for not warning me before doing something so…so stupid!" Kara huffed with a pout on her face causing Naruto to snicker, prompting another bop on the head courtesy of the raven-haired girl. "Okay, okay I'm sorry. Stop hitting my head already!"

"Good, now it's your turn to hide and my turn to find you!" Kara exclaimed happily before closing her eyes and counting down. And so the two spend the remainder of the day playing together until it was time for Kara to return home, they promised to meet up every evening from then onwards.

_Naruto, age six_

A year had gone by fairly quickly for the young demon lord, he had spent most of his evenings playing with Kara and comforting her whenever she got scared by her parents' violent arguments. Today was his birthday and Kara wanted to buy him a present, he had declined politely but the girl's stubbornness won out eventually.

Naruto was dressed in a small black cloak that Kara had 'liberated' from one of her cousin's wardrobe, it was more comfortable and hid his ears better than his old improvised one. He sat on his usual spot on the lowest branch of the willow tree beside the lake in the park, his crimson eyes already fixed on the horizon where a figure was approaching.

"Did I make you wait Naruto-kun?" Kara asked worriedly.

"No, I was here for most of the day training already..." He reassured the onyx-eyed girl, who grinned cheerfully at his reply.

"Alright then, let's go to the festival so I can buy you a gift!" She shouted excitedly as she dragged the blonde along by the wrist.

As the pair walked throughout the festival celebrating the heroic actions of their Yondaime Hokage, the glares of many of the villagers fell onto the blonde child but looked away when they noticed the Uchiha by his side.

'Seems like the dumbasses respect the Uchiha clan enough not to confront me when I'm accompanying one of them... this may not be such a bad idea after all.' Naruto thought to himself, not knowing that he would regret his words later.

"Naruto-kun, look what I got for you!" Kara's gleeful voice broke him out of his own thoughts as he turned around to see an object in her hands. Upon closer inspection he realised that it was a necklace with the kanji for 'fire' dangling at the end, he took it silently and placed it around his neck.

"...arigatou Kara-chan I love it." Naruto said as he smiled genuinely at his friend.

Kara just returned the smile happily before tugging the blonde off to another store and so the duo spent the next hour or so roaming the festival streets and then watched the fireworks. As it was getting late, Naruto decided to walk her back home just to be on the safe side.

However things took a turn for the worse when they found themselves surrounded by Konohagakure Chunnin, a quick look around confirmed that they were all drunk beyond reason. The fox demon quickly put a protective arm in front of his companion, which only prompted a laugh from the intoxicated shinobi.

"Hey fellas... look at the demon brat... trying to protect his whore... how adorable... Hahaha..." A Chunnin chuckled as he pulled a kunai out from his weapons pouch.

"Yeah... we've had enough of you... prancing around with the Uchiha slut... like you own the place..." Another Chunnin slurred out as he cracked his knuckles menacingly, a vicious gleam in his eyes.

"Tonight we're going to... finish what... the Yondaime started... and kill you and your... demon-loving whore..." The Chunnin holding a katana stated.

Naruto assessed the situation quickly before pulling Kara close to him and whispered into her ear, "Listen carefully, once I distracted this fools. I want you to run as fast as you can back to your clan district and into your house. Shh no buts... I can handle myself."

Kara reluctantly nodded as she prepared to make a break for it, her mind falling back to the training sessions she had with Naruto to counter any moves made towards her.

With a silent command, the group of Chunnin rushed towards the cloaked blonde. Drunken or not, five veteran Chunnins were more than a self-taught child could handle and it showed immediately. Naruto managed to fend off the first wave of attacks before being hit in his blind spot by a metal pipe, his vision swam for a moment but it was enough for one of them to land a devastating uppercut to his chin.

"Kara... RUN!" Naruto yelled in his semi-conscious state, shocking the petrified girl out of her frozen state. She turned around and sprinted around the corner only to run into a tall and bulky Chunnin, she tried to back away but was seized roughly around the neck and carried back to the group.

"Hey guys look what I caught..." The muscle-bound shinobi held up the squirming girl by the neck causing the blonde's eyes to fly open in shock.

"Let... her go... she has nothing to do with this..." Naruto panted slightly as he propped himself up against a wall.

"No can do... she has shown her true colours... as a demon-lover... so she has to... pay the price..." The katana Chunnin spat as he stepped towards the captured girl, his katana gleaming in the moonlight.

"Stop... don't hurt her! I'm the one you want!" Naruto pleaded desperately as he limped towards the katana-wielder only to be punched in the stomach, doubling him over as he spat out a wad of blood onto the ground.

"Say goodnight you... demon-loving whore..." The Chunnin cackled insanely as he swung his blade in a clean arc, separating the Uchiha's head from the rest of her body. The brutish Chunnin sneered as he dropped the severed head next to the body, giving it a kick as it rolled right up to the injured boy's face.

"Kara-chan..." Naruto whispered with tears entering his vision, his eyes forever burning the image of Kara's severed head and glossed over eyes staring at him.

"Why... why... just because I was born like this... I was treated differently... like a demon... I couldn't get any friends... and the only one I had... was killed right in front of me..." Naruto clenched his fists as he stumbled back up to his feet, glowing crimson orbs peeking out from beneath his bangs.

"Good... you deserve it... you demonic scum!" The kunai-wielding Chunnin shouted.

"Demon... demon... that's all you mutter... since you so strongly believe me to be one... **I'LL SHOW YOU A REAL DEMON!"** Naruto roared in rage as his cloaked body swam with crimson energy.

In the Hokage's office

Sarutobi Hiruzen was finishing up the last of his paperwork and looked at the clock on the wall, 'Right on time. Now I have enough time to drop by the festival and get Naruto something for his birthday...'

Just as he was about to leave the office, his eyes widened when he felt an oppressive and suffocating aura from somewhere in the village. He quickly spun around and scanned the village through the window before his eyes focused on one specific point, an area where a crimson aura was emanating from.

'That's the Kyuubi's chakra... that must mean something must have happened to Naruto that caused him to tap into his powers so early!' The Sandaime cursed but before he could issue an order to his hidden ANBU team, a bright light blinded him.

Quickly blinking the spots from his vision, Hiruzen and the hidden ANBU were gawking at the sight before them. Right where the crimson aura had been a moment ago now was a giant spiralling pillar of burning hot orange and yellow flames.

"ANBU move out!" He ordered without hesitation as he too leapt out his window, throwing off his ceremonial robes to reveal his black battle armour underneath.

With Naruto

The kitsune demon panted as he surveyed his surroundings with shocked eyes, he had just felt a surge of power flow through him when suddenly he just... erupted. Now the buildings around him and the ground had been charred black in colour, the Chunnins as well as the corpse of his first and only friend had been reduced to nothing but blackened skeletons.

"D-damn it... what the fuck was that..." Naruto growled as he looked at his still smoking hands, as if expecting an answer to emerge from them. 'Okay enough time to think later... get the hell out of here now!'

He wisely chose to follow his brain as he hightailed it out of there, his newly unlocked youki granting him speed as he sprinted faster than he ever could before. Next thing he knew, he was in front of a rather worn-down looking apartment building that looked like it had seen better days.

Deciding that it was better than nothing, Naruto stumbled into one of the apartments and slumped against the wall and curled up in one corner. He held up one of his hands in front of him, trying to tap into that warmth of power that had surged through his body just now.

No sooner had he located it that a stream of fire shot out of his palm and burned through the wall separating the bedroom from the kitchen. Naruto gazed curiously at the still burning hole in the wall; something about the flames seemed to be calling to him... like a tugging in the back of his mind.

Unconsciously he raised up his hand and closed it into a fist, he watched in amazement as the flames on the wall detached and formed into a small ball of fire. Moving his fist around, the ball of fire followed his movements exactly before releasing his fist and the flames dissipated into the air.

'...I have control of fire. Not just Pyrokinesis but also the ability to create it as well...' Naruto thought as he clenched a fist around the necklace dangling around his neck. 'Kara-chan... No more... I will not let humans walk over me anymore... I have to leave this place... and train... get stronger so I can avenge her...'

Naruto wrapped the black cloak around his body tightly and pulled the hood up as he exited the apartment, taking a brisk walk towards the village gates. As luck would have it, the last merchant caravan for the day was leaving and the gate guards were preoccupied with checking the contents and passengers. The agile and stealthy blonde darted past them and out the gates before anyone even noticed he was there, he ran down the dirt path before pausing and turning around.

"This will not be the last you see of me... when I return... there will be a reckoning... **a baptism by fire!"**

In the village of Shinrin Oka (Forested Hill)

_Kaede, age six_

"No, stop!" The young pink-haired girl cried out as she saw her fellow orphan pinning her puppy to the ground, a hand holding a rock raised in the air.

"Hahaha shut up and watch, there's nothing you can do now!" The older boy holding her laughed, his larger body made it impossible for her to break free from his grip.

"I'm sorry... I thought they only wanted to play with the puppy. I didn't know it would end up getting hurt..." The girl that she thought off as her first friend whispered softly. Kaede could tell she was lying, the way her mouth twisted up in a grotesque grin just as the first blow connected with the puppy.

"Stop it!" She screamed.

The boy just sneered at her as he raised the rock and brought it down once again, a wet squelching sound accompanying it as she was forced to watch. Her horrified gaze locked onto the bleeding puppy as it whined pitifully, its paw twitched slightly as it tried to crawl towards her.

"Stop it..." Her voice hoarse from the screaming and sobbing, pink bangs falling over her face and obscuring it from sight.

"Say bye-bye to your stupid dog!" The boy yelled as he struck the final blow, crushing the defenceless puppy's head into a pulp. The other kids in the room started laughing, that is until the boy restraining her suddenly exploded into a shower of bloody ribbons.

The laughter ceased as soon as it had begun, the children all stunned into a state of shock as a blood-drenched Kaede took a step forward with her head still bowed.

"Unforgiveable... humans are unforgiveable..." She whispered. Her vibrant pink eyes that peaked out from behind her bangs slowly morphing into a glowing crimson red, her shoulders started shaking slightly.

"Perish..." Kaede growled as the children all combusted into a bloody shower that stained the entire room red.

The pink-haired child silently made her way out the door and grabbed a red raincoat from the rack and slipped it on, pulling the hood over her head. She trudged her way up to the top of the hill before turning back to look at the village, her crimson eyes glowing in the night.

"Kaede... Kaede is no more... from now on I am Lucy..." The newly dubbed Lucy glared at her former village. "This will not be the last you see of me... when I return... there will be a reckoning... **a baptism by blood!"**

* * *

**Well it looks like I finally managed to get back to this story, sorry for the rather short chapter! I promise that the chapters will get longer as the story continues, so look forward to it!**

**And oh, this is me wishing everyone a Happy Valentine's Day! Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and your special day with your loved ones! As always, remember to review to let me know what you think!**

**Ja ne!**


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